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Expert Evaluation Network

Synthesis report on renewable energy & energy efficiency in housing

Cvetina YochevaEvaluation network, Brussels,20th October 2011

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Objectives

• Report synthesised findings of 27 national reports which examined:

• National policies in place in Member States to support energy efficiency in housing

• Contribution of ERDF to these

• Rationale for government intervention in this area

• Rationale for Cohesion policy support

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National policies – renewables

• National support focused mostly on electricity generation

Most common: feed-in tariffs, quotas (green certificates)

• Support to renewable energy for heatingDirect grants (DE, IT, AT)

low interest loans (DE, EE, PL, LT, SL)

tax concessions (ES, LV, NL, PT, SK, FI, SE, BE, UK)

Supporting R&D of new technology (SE, DE, UK)

• Support varies across countries and types and renewable energies

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National policies – energy efficiency

• All countries support investment in energy efficiency in buildings. Support varies:

Grants

Subsidised loans

Tax concessions

• Support often coupled with: Incentives to switch to renewable energies for

heating & cooling

Standards/regulations for new buildings

Certificate for energy consumption when buying/selling

• Regulations vary in strictness/extent

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ERDF & CF support to renewables

• 2% of total funding for 2007-2013 (4,6 billion) allocated to energy efficiency + renewables

Wind (EE)

Solar thermal (BE, CY, ES, BG, SL, MT)

Bio-mass (LT, AT, FI)

Hydroelectric/geothermal (GR, LV, SK)

• Small amount of EU funding allocated to renewables

• (Much of the support to renewable energy is not categorised as such

DK, FI, AT, SL – R&D, innovation, entrepreneurship

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ERDF & CF energy efficiency in housing

• Originally excluded from eligible area of interventions in the initial regulation 2007-2013

• Eligible for support since June 2009 in all MSBut very small financial allocations (EU average

2%)

Mostly supported by national funding

• Little or no funding allocated to energy efficiency in housing

No funding allocated in DE, AT, SL, DK, CY

Mostly focus on public buildings & social housing

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Is public intervention justified?

• Yes but only in some cases

evening up living conditions across regions

stimulating local employment

reducing EU energy use – (fossil fuel consumption)

• Strong case if support is focused on social housing, low income households and deprived areas

• EU funding particularly important in EU12 + southern Member States of EU15

But need to ensure funding used in cost-effective way targeted where support is most needed

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Is public intervention justified?

• Open questions still remainThe scale of the support

The form of the support

Who should bear the costs

Contribution to regional development

• Programme documents rarely address these questions

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Conclusions

• There is a clear role for the Structural Funds to support measures to assist and stimulate investment in energy efficiency in housing (and buildings generally)

• But it is not only a question of financial support

The aim should be to provide sufficient incentives for investment in energy efficiency (grants/preferential loans)

Effective regulation and certification schemes (these cost money to establish and enforce) – possible case for EU funding to provide support

Support should be larger for deprived areas/low income owners

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Thank you for your attention!

Reports available on Inforegio

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/information/evaluations/index_en.cfm#1